Rev. John Henry takes leave from post at St. Herman's after 230 guns seized

John KuntzPolice seized more than 280 guns from a St. Herman's House of Hospitality spiritual leader after the man was acting "strange and erratic." The guns were stored in unlocked cars in Cleveland and on a farm in Trumbull County.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Rev. John Henry, the Cleveland clergyman who in recent weeks has surrendered to police more than 200 guns and 2,000 boxes of ammunition, agreed Tuesday to relinquish something else -- his longtime job.

Henry, 58, will take an indefinite leave of absence from St. Herman's House of Hospitality, the monastery and homeless shelter he has run for decades on the city's near West Side.

The decision came a day after community leaders, including City Councilman Joe Cimperman, called on Henry to step aside. And it came hours after officials released new details about an ongoing police investigation of Henry, who has not been charged with a crime.

A committee that includes representatives from Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry, which operates the 2100 Lakeside Emergency Men's Shelter, will oversee St. Herman's in Henry's absence.

"Abbot Father John Henry deeply appreciates the community's support for St. Herman's," Matthew Nee, one of Henry's lawyers, said in an e-mailed statement. "He and the transition team pray for continuing community support, so that St. Herman's mission of providing food, shelter, and spiritual guidance to Cleveland's underprivileged may continue."

Cimperman said the transition will begin immediately.

"I'm pleased because we all recognize that the mission is bigger than anything," he said. "Obviously securing the safety of the facility and neighborhood is at the forefront."

Abbot John Henry of St. Herman's House of Hospitality

Inspectors from the city's Fire, Health and Building & Housing departments attempted Tuesday to check for code violations at St. Herman's and rental homes the organization leases across the street. None was found, but "severe over-storage of miscellaneous items" prevented inspectors from completing their work, said City Hall spokeswoman Maureen Harper.

Also Tuesday, police for the first time disclosed why they began investigating Henry.

Several weeks ago, officials said, an anonymous informant told a narcotics detective that a man claiming to be a priest had purchased multiple guns. After police identified the man as Henry, the detective's surveillance uncovered "strange and erratic" behavior, Harper said.

Henry tried at least once to use St. Herman's tax exemption when purchasing guns, but it is unknown if he succeeded, said Cleveland Safety Director Martin Flask. St. Herman's is operated by the Little Brothers of the Divine Compassion Inc., a registered nonprofit, records show.

On Jan. 28, police spotted weapons -- "in plain view" -- stored in an unlocked car parked near St. Herman's, which is located at Franklin Boulevard and West 44th Street. With Henry's consent, police later searched for and confiscated 80 guns and 874 boxes of ammunition.

An incident report describes the visit as a crisis intervention, which according to police policy must end with a psychiatric evaluation, hospital commitment or both. Henry, city officials confirmed Tuesday, voluntarily admitted himself to Lutheran Hospital for an evaluation.

On Friday, again with Henry's permission, police searched a farm that St. Herman's uses in Bloomfield Township, located about 15 miles north of Warren in Trumbull County. There, they found and confiscated 150 more guns and 1,314 additional boxes of ammunition, according to a second report.

The guns included rifles with scopes and at least three assault weapons. Police described two of them as M4 assault rifles. Some of the guns appeared new, while others were old, battered with scratches in their wooden stocks. A few of the weapons appeared to be antiques.

Flask said that Cleveland officials know and respect that people have the right to purchase as many guns as they can afford. But Henry's behavior, he added, cried for more attention.

For example, Flask said, Henry went to a Walmart between 9 and 10 p.m. and hung around the store until between 1 and 2 a.m. before buying the guns and ammunition.

"This raised some fears that the purchases may have been for something other than a legitimate reason," Flask said.

People who know Henry were bewildered to learn of the guns. Had Henry not stepped aside Tuesday, several of his closest friends had planned to meet with him to persuade him to leave, said the Rev. George Hrbek, a neighbor and former director at Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry.

"It blew my mind," said Hrbek, who has agreed to help guide St. Herman's transition. "It just seemed totally out of character."

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